


Honest

by stargirlsushi



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Alternate Universe - Set in the 90's, Basically a re-imagining of Thor's banishment, F/M, Jane Foster Loves Science, Protective Thor, Slow Burn, Thor Is Not Stupid, but is uncertain of her future at this point, but with the same people, occuring in the 90s
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 19:35:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11996559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargirlsushi/pseuds/stargirlsushi
Summary: The year is 1997 Thor's banishment to Midgard has been in effect for almost three months when he stumbles across Jane Foster, a slightly rebellious science student who's lost her way in the world of science.He's learnt enough to get by and survive as a Midgardian although perhaps not enough to realise that offering to take a nineteen-year-old across the country to see the stars is slightly weird.Maybe Jane's feeling particularly reckless that night because she accepts.





	Honest

  
  
  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER ONE**

****

 

_ I find it very easy to be true.  _

  
  
  


 

Jane watched her reflection in the chilled glass; taking in the dark rings and the smudged mascara bordering her brown eyes. 

 

The empty aisle she stood in was cold- someone had left a freezer open- sending a race of goose bumps along her bare arms as she pondered what juice to buy. Tall freezers lining the aisle buzzed and hummed electrically behind her- ticking and screeching every so often. 

 

Her thin bangles jangled metallically as she lifted a hand to the handle of the fridge door- drumming her short fingernails on the greasy plastic. She sighed, opening the door with a swift tug, a gust of chilled air rolling over her angular face. She hesitated before grabbing one of the bottles lined up; orange juice with pulp.  Her converse were silent as she walked to the only checkout in the small, sweltering store. 

 

The checkout belt seemed to be malfunctioning- spitting out unhealthy noises as it rolled along. She grimaced at the stains on the dirty plastic as she dropped the juice and several packs of bubble gum on it. The repetitive beeps echoed around the empty shop as Jane turned away and looked out the large windows into the deserted car park. She watched as a few cars rolled past; kicking up clouds of murky dust into the humid air, the sky was blue and bright for this early in the morning. The middle aged woman working the checkout gave her a tired smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes as Jane paid for her items. 

 

The cheap plastic bag rustled as it swung from her fingers as she made her way out of the stifling shop into the slightly cooler air of the early morning.

 

Her walk was punctuated by the musical jangle of her bangles and the crinkle of the carrier bag as she walked along the flat road that cut through the center of the small, lifeless town. Hardly anyone seemed to be up and if they were they were evidently making use of the shade provided by the homogenous shops lining the street. She passed two middle age women, shaded by the overhanging store-front, their wedding rings flashing in the blinding sun as they chatted in vapid tones. 

 

She reached the edge of the main street- the shops were dwindling by now- only a small diner and a pastel blue laundrette before she hit the neatly tantamount houses lined up in particular and unyielding lines. Neatly colored to compliment each other- their uniform colors looked strict and gave a distinct feel to the town. 

 

She walked past the rows of perfect houses until she reached a road in the middle of suburbia. 

 

Her family’s house looked the same as every other house in the strict rows; despite her step-mother’s attempt at planting bright flowers along the front lawn, there was a dreary and tired feel to her home. This could have been due to her own feelings about her hometown but whatever the cause; it was a depressing house to look at.

 

She turned her key in the lock and stepped into her house; her family’s shoes neatly lined up along a shoe rack in the hall. Her favorite boots and various shoes, standing out against the plain sneakers and boots her family tended to wear. 

 

The house was quiet; it was only 10:50 in the morning so her parents were still at work. The fridge door sounded inordinately loud as she opened it and placed the juice inside, changing her mind a second later to pour herself a glass. 

 

She swirled the liquid around broodingly- watching little segments of pulp stick to the glass. The clock in the kitchen ticked loudly as she finished the juice, leaving the empty glass on the countertop. 

 

She’d followed a similar routine for the past week, ever since she got back from university. She felt that tight little knot reappears in her chest at the thought of university. It had not gone well, and to her dismay, she had realized that despite being top of her science class at high school, despite the honors programs she was enrolled in. She was in the wrong field. 

 

She had known this all along really but had been unwilling to admit to herself that what she truly wanted to do with her life was to study the stars, space, and galaxies, probably because it sounded so whimsical in her head. 

 

She sat at the island for a moment, swinging her dangling legs, sighing into the silent room before she jumped off the stool grabbing her purse and walking out of the house, the monotonous ticking of the clock still ringing in her ears. 

 

She couldn’t stay there any longer, thinking about her failings and longings. 

 

The door slammed behind her as she stepped into the bright morning sunshine, scuffed converse tapping lightly on the concrete steps outside her house. She felt a slightly pricking along her waterline as she looked at the cheerful garden ornaments her step-mother had set out in the front garden. 

 

She made a beeline back into town; it was a quick walk only taking around fifteen minutes to reach the storefronts. She knew where she was heading; the small travel agents that sat on the corner. Jane would spend time outside the window every week; looking over all the escapes available. Escape. It was an interesting choice of words and one that fit how she felt; desperate to escape this town, it’s judgments that had been settled upon her for what felt like her entire lifetime. 

 

She looked over the adverts one last time; dark eyes flickering over the prices and destinations before she turned away. The sun had risen high in the sky by now and had made her hair hot to the touch. 

 

She didn’t have anywhere to be so she was wandering aimlessly near a cafe when she first saw him.

 

He was sitting outside a shabby-looking cafe with an American flag fluttering feebly in the humid summer breeze. He smiled slightly at her as he lifted his coffee to his lips; the sun illuminating his golden hair like a halo. He looked like a gritty American dream gone wrong but the way his uneven smile made her something in her chest squeeze tight. 

 

She could remember that moment vividly. The air was warm and humid; a perfect afternoon by all rights- and the bitter aroma of coffee was floating along the breeze. Her lips were dry and she could feel a bead of sweat working its way down her temple as she stood on the edge of the bustling street. 

 

She could have taken that smile as an invitation; could have made a move but Jane was nineteen and still had that teenage insecurity that haunts most former high-school students. So she turned away, slightly flustered by a man in a way she had never been before. 

 

It stuck with her for the rest of the day though, even once she had gone back home. She was distracted and distant during dinner, thinking about the man outside the cafe. She hadn’t had a boyfriend since tenth grade and although she flirted with men in the bars she had started sneaking into; there was something about this guy. 

 

.

 

She went out that evening. She didn’t often; she was too young to be legally drinking so bars were usually out of the question but the bartender at the this particular bar had a soft spot for her- usually letting her get away with a drink before ushering her out. 

 

She dressed up marginally; a delicate navy slip dress that skimmed her frame, her hair loose around her tanned face. She took a jacket as an afterthought as she went out the door around nine in the evening. 

 

The walk to the bar was brisk; she wasn’t a huge fan of walking alone in the dark, although she rarely encountered anyone threatening to her. The Orion was busy by the time she got there; full of townspeople and some she didn’t recognize, evidently passing through. 

 

She couldn’t see him though; which wasn’t surprising considering there were at least two other bars he could visit if he decided to visit a bar this evening. However ridiculous it was, she still felt put out as she made her way to the bar. 

 

“Nick.” She greeted with a lazy grin, resting her delicate hands on the bar top. She’d had a lackadaisical sort of crush on Nick for the past year or so, not enough to ever make a serious move.  

 

“Jane.” He replied, with a raised eyebrow, handing a beer to someone to her left. 

 

“I’m thinking something fruity tonight.” She pondered thoughtfully, teasing him slightly seeing as no-one was ordering right now. 

 

“You’ll be lucky.” He muttered, a wry smile twisting on his lips as he ran his hand through his dark hair that was slightly peppered with gray. Nick was a middle aged man with a soft spot for delinquents, including Jane.

 

“I’ll take a cosmopolitan.” She hummed as she leaned over the bar with a playful smile. 

 

“I.D?” He asked with a deadpan expression. Jane straightened, opening her small purse, putting on a good act as she searched for something that didn’t exist before coming up empty handed. 

 

“I must’ve left it at home?” She said regretfully, eyebrows raising with pseudo concern. 

 

Nick raised an eyebrow before shaking his head with a smile and turning to mix her drink. 

He kept a straight face but there was a twinkle in his eye as she laughed, tossing her hair with the motion before leaning up against the bar further, closer to Nick as he placed her drink on the bar with a clean napkin. “Nick, you’re a sweetheart. One of these days I’m going to pay you back.” 

 

Nick just smiled, “Yeah, how’s that?” His elbows resting on the bartop, bring him closer to her. She smiled, pulling back. 

 

“Well, what do you want?” She said in a teasing tone, picking up her cool drink and making her way to an empty table further into the room, leaving a ten dollar bill folded neatly in its place.  

 

Nick watched her go, shaking his head slightly with a grin, before turning to the guy that had been waiting. 

 

Jane picked one of the few empty tables, perfectly content to people watch whilst she finished her drink. If someone approached her then fine but she wasn’t going out of her way this evening. 

 

.

  
  


The first he saw of her that evening was the smooth line of her back from where she was leaning over the bar- talking with the rugged bartender, almost arguing in a fond, nearly flirtatious way. It seemed like she was a regular; troublemaker, if nothing else. 

 

That was the first impression he had of her; white teeth glinting in the light as she laughed- tossing her head of silken hair back. It was probably the reason he took to her. She was light and brilliance in the dark and dim that his world had turned into. He watched her wrangle a drink from the bartender before walking over to an empty table; content to just watch the people passing through the bar. He recognized her from earlier; the girl outside the cafe. He was known back home for being an impulsive man and so he made his way over to her table. 

 

.

 

It was about five minutes after she sat down that she noticed him. The man from earlier she surmised with a strange leaping sensation in her chest. 

 

He was quiet and solemn, resting against the worn bar top, drink in hand. He was also staring straight back at her she realized with a jolt as she locked eyes with him. 

 

He was tall; that was the second thing Jane noticed about him, this was surmised as he walked over to her. There was an assurity in his walk, the type of man that would never doubt himself or his feet to step wrongly. 

The tang of sweat and cheap drinks stung her nose as she took a sharp breath inwards. Her lungs burned slightly as she inhaled the familiar sharp scent of the smoke. 

 

The man smiled as his eyes trailed along Jane again and for the first time since she had set eyes on him she felt herself relax. 

 

The man walked closer; heavy boots clunking on the cheap flooring as he stepped closer. 

 

“I seem to remember you from earlier today.” He had a deep voice, smooth and with the hint of an accent she couldn’t place. “May I sit down?” 

 

She notes the strange rings on his fingers as he points towards one of the seats, drink still in his other hand

 

“Sure.” She sips her drink, dark eyes glinting at him over the rim of her glass. 

“It is a nice night, don’t you agree?,” He says pleasantly, his deep voice cutting through the din of the bar easily; lounging back in it as if it were a throne. Jane gets the feeling that she’s being assessed as his eyes rake over her. She can almost feel the stroke of hands on her skin as he drinks, the steel blue of his eyes never leaving her. Jane blinks before answering, slightly flustered. 

“Er, Yeah.” She agrees, nearly kicking herself when she feels a slow flush crawl up her neck.

The man looks satisfied with her reply, though, he smiles as though charmed by her inelegance. 

“My name is Thor.” He introduces himself stiltedly almost like he wanted to say something else and stopped himself and instead takes a quick mouthful of the sweating beer in his hand. Jane smiles and watches the muscles in his arms shift; watches the way Thor’s hand is curled around the dark glass, his thumb stroking softly along the beads of condensation. It’s an interesting name for an interesting man so she smiles and introduces herself.

“Jane,” She says taking a fortifying sip of her drink,  smoothing the hem of her dress as she looks up at him. 

 

“This is a quiet town you live in,” He says after a moment, discarding the now empty bottle to the tabletop, “Compared to the other places I have visited, at least,” and Jane watches the way he leans back, folding his arms over his broad chest. Her eyes catch on the simple silver necklace he wears; she thinks she sees the glint of a strange charm. 

“Where have you come from then?” She asks although she’s certain it isn’t just one place. He has the look of a wandering man. He see’s the world differently to her and she’s desperate for his insight.

“Far away but just now I am come from Seattle,” Thor says, smiling at her, he says the word Seattle as though he is uncertain of it and it’s pronunciation.

 

She sips her drink to hide a smile; letting the bitter taste of alcohol fade the nervous jitters away. He watches her as she drinks; lavender eyes tracing the line of her throat. 

 

“Have you lived here long, Jane?” He asks once she’s put her sweating glass down, a bead on condensation running down onto the polished wood of the table. 

 

“All my life, actually.” Jane smiles ruefully. 

 

“You do not sound too happy about that.” Thor points out, a half smile tilting his lips. 

 

Jane trails her finger through the water on the table; tracing a small circle around her glass.  “Not so much.” 

 

“Where I come from, most will never leave the city they are born into,” Thor tells her, lowering his voice as though he is regaling a secret, and leaning forwards in his chair and for the first time not looking entirely at ease.

 

Jane looks up from her drawing and is surprised to find him so close, at this distance she can smell him; a pleasing mixture of soap, ozone and something distinctly masculine. 

 

She finds him watching her again, as though he knows what she’s thinking, he smiles and sits back. 

 

“Tell me, Jane, what is your calling?” He asks as he takes another drink from the bottle. 

 

She laughs ruefully, “Well, that’s a complicated story. I thought it was in the natural sciences, like my father but I guess I thought wrong. It just wasn’t for me.”

“Then what is?” He asks, his voice gentle as he sits his bottle down on the table. 

 

She hesitates, having never said her dreams out loud to anyone before. “Stars.” She blurts before her logical brain can persuade her not to. She fully expects him to say something negative or at the very least make a joke about it. 

 

“Then why not pursue your interest? I know many charters and observers of the skies.” He says in the gentle voice, so deep it vibrates through her ears. 

 

She gapes at him for a second, thrown. “I-I couldn’t. I wouldn’t know where to start. I’ve already left my university, my biology course didn’t work out.” She tells him, revealing her most shameful secret so far. 

 

He doesn’t seem to register the significance of her confession as he tilted his head slightly. “Then go back to study astronomy.” 

 

“I can’t.” She murmurs defeatedly, “I want to but it’s not a reliable science. My parents wouldn’t be happy. My Dad thinks it’s a silly sort of science for daydreamers.” She’s playing with the stem of her glass as she whispers her fears to the worn tabletop. 

 

She startles when a large, warm hand lays itself over hers, stilling her hand with calloused fingers. “Jane, the most intelligent and focused man I know spends his days staring at the stars and unraveling their mysteries. It is not a dishonorable science, and if you want to pursue this study then you must.”

 

She stares at him in shock not for the first or last time this evening, disbelieving that any man could be so genuine. His eyes are unwavering in their intensity though and she finds herself lost in them as she struggles to find her words. 

 

“Where would I start? I can’t reapply for a couple of months yet.” She murmurs, still slightly starstruck by the earnestness of his words. 

 

“Then travel and find the stars for yourself, you can investigate your calling before you apply for your studies.” He smiles, squeezing her hand gently. She looks down to where his hand lays over hers and is struck to see the deep scars the mar the honey-gold of his skin, 

 

He must notice her stares and gently extracts her hand before removing his hands to the other side of the table again. 

“How would I travel?” She asks him, partly speaking to herself, knowing the impossibility of it even as she plans furiously in her head. 

 

“If you would like; perhaps you could come with me?” He suggests, with a hint of uncertainty for the first time since they began talking. 

 

“Where?” She asks, her voice hushes but a smile on her face. The sight of this puts the tease of a smile on his lips. 

 

“Anywhere and everywhere.” He says, lounging back in his chair again, a lazy confidence settling around him once more. 

 

Jane raises an eyebrow, lifting her chilled glass to her lips again. 

She watches the way Thor’s teeth flash in the dark as he smiles at Jane before standing, looking down at her where she’s still sitting on that rickety stool, it creaks as she looks up at the tall man as he offers a hand to help her up. She smiles again at his strangely old fashioned manners. 

When she stands she’s eyeballing his chest, the open v of his henley, revealing a dusting of chest hair and the glimpse of a strong chest. She looks up into his eyes and finds him watching her. 

Thor just smiles though, as he lets her hand drop from his. He looks like he’s going to say something-

“My car is out front if you are serious.” He says instead, pausing and gauging her interest. 

 

“About what?” She asks, startled, dark eyes squinting at him quizzically. 

 

“Leaving this town? Seeing the stars and galaxies you have dreamt of?” He says calmly, 

 

“What do you want in return?” She asks doubtfully, for the first time feeling slightly uncomfortable. If this man wanted sex in return for seeing the rest of this country, then would she turn him down? Was she desperate enough to agree to it? She didn’t want to answer that question. 

 

“Do not worry, I am not in the habit of forcing myself on beautiful women. I only look for a friend in this forsaken land.” He smiles and for the first time she notices that it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Maybe she hadn’t been paying close enough attention but he suddenly strikes her as quite lonely. There’s a sadness to his smoky blue eyes that doesn’t quite go away when he laughs, the gold of his hair over shines the fact that it isn’t as well cared for as it might once have been as the intricate but deteriorating braids would suggest.

 

“Just like that?” Jane isn’t fully convinced, despite the sincerity he has displayed since they met. 

 

“I give my word.” The way he says that suggests there is a weight behind those words that she is not fully aware of, his eyes still trained on her, “I leave this town tonight.”

 

She studies him for a minute, his eyes are unwavering and she doesn’t detect a lie behind them. He isn’t shifty or nervous; she doesn’t have a bad feeling about this. 

 

She knows this isn’t a good idea but the lure of the open road is too much to ignore. 

 

She nods, “I need to get my stuff,” She says slowly, frightened at the prospect that she could be actually leaving. 

 

“Of course, I will wait.” holding his hand out to her, she hesitates for a second before placing her hand in his. She looks at the way his hand dwarfs hers, fingers wrapping entirely around her hand as he pulls her gently out of the bar.

No-one much spares them a glance- too wrapped up in their own affairs and troubles.

It’s only 11 in the evening; the night is young and the sky is dark, the stars glinting softly and Jane figures that she should have time to swing by her house to collect a bag of her stuff- maybe leave a note before leaving in the morning. She doesn’t want to say goodbye to them in person. She knows she would hate the way her parent’s faces would crumple; anxious and worried, maybe covering it with a healthy dose of anger. 

Out front is a baby blue car, the old kind that she thinks looks pretty but doesn’t have a clue about the make. It’s the kind her father would love to own, and from the looks of it- he would take better care of it than Thor has. She decides not to think about her father for now. 

The fine grit and dust of long roads have taken their toll on the paintwork but it seems to be working when Thor turns the ignition with a judder and a comforting roar.

Daisy closes her eyes for a second; letting the dull roar of the engine soothe her worries as Thor takes her back to her house. She gives him directions and nearly has a coronary as he tries to turn into oncoming traffic. He apologizes appropriately- explaining that transport is different where he comes from and that he is still getting used to the car. 

 

They make it back to her house without any other incidents and she sighs shakily as he turns off the engine and she opens the car door and prepares to leave her childhood home for the second time this year. 

 

She looks behind her into the car to see that Thor has dug out a map and is scanning through it with a creased brow, checking a crumpled piece of paper in his hand before consulting the map. She shuts the car door quietly and digs through her bag for her keys. 

 

The house is silent at this time of night and she carefully makes her way up the stairs as silently as possible, breathing a sigh of relief as she shuts her door to her bedroom. 

 

She’s terrified now, sitting in her room, an open duffle bag in front of her. 

 

She’s dreamt of leaving this town for so long, as long as she can remember but the reality of leaving is almost too much. She feels a few frightened tears slip down her face as she takes in her room. Who knows when she would see it again? 

 

She thinks of how long she’s dreamt of a way out, and now this man is giving her one. 

 

What’s keeping her here? 

 

Her parents. She thinks of them; of all, they’ve done for her, the care and attention they gave her as a child, and the lack of attention as she grew older. She loves them, dearly, fiercely, but she can’t stay here forever. Just like that, her mind is made up. 

 

She’s going. 

 

She pens out a note, signing it with love and care, begging them not worry, she’d be back, that she needed to find herself and that she couldn’t do so, trapped in this town. 

 

Her note - finished, mind - made up, she packs her bag. She takes as many clothes as she can stuff in her bag, a few books on astrology, whatever toiletries she could fit in a small makeup bag, her journal, and her camera. She grabs a few rolls of film to stuff in her bag as an afterthought. 

 

She looks around her room- which looks almost untouched considering she’s leaving it but she doesn’t really have much more room… on that note she decides to take a backpack as well, stuffing her camera, journal, and books into it as she puts some more clothes into her duffel. 

 

This time when she looks around her room she feels satisfied that she has everything she needs. 

 

She walks swiftly over to the window, resting her hands on the windowsill as she stares out into the darkness, from here she can still make out Thor in the driver's seat and the sight of him sends nervous butterflies into her stomach. 

 

She sighs as softly as she dares and shouldering her two bags she makes her way out of her bedroom, having already placed her note on her pillow. 

 

She walks awkwardly down the steps, knees bending under the weight of her bags as she silently backs out of the front door, breathing in one last lungful of the scent of home before closing the door as quietly as she can. 

 

When she makes it Thor’s car, he’s already standing by the trunk, striding forwards to take her duffel from her. 

 

“Thanks,” She murmurs as he lifts it from her shoulders, as easily as if it were a bag of cotton candy. 

 

He smiles at her as he closes the trunk carefully, gesturing for her to climb in. Once the two of them are sat in the driver and passenger seat respectively, there is a moment of quiet, she’s painfully aware of her own breathing as she stares at her childhood home. 

 

“Jane,” He speaks quietly and the deep timbre of his voice sends a tiny shiver down her spine, “It is not too late to change your mind. I do not want to encourage you to do something you may regret.” He’s painfully sincere and she smiles, albeit shakily. 

 

“No. I want to do this. I just,” She pauses, taking a breath, “I’m just scared, I guess. I told you I’d never left this state, right?” She glances up at him to see him watching her fondly. 

 

“Aye, you did.” He nods his head, a long strand of golden hair falling over his shoulder. “There is nothing to be scared about Jane, there is only wonder and adventure to be found after leaving your home.” 

 

“Uh, the news says differently,” She raises an eyebrow, a sick feeling in her stomach as she stills her shaky hands. 

 

“I will protect you from any harm. Do not worry, you will see the stars as you have wished.” She can’t find it in her to disbelieve him and so she smiles and lets the knot of tensions in her back fade away slightly. 

 

He smiles at her again and then turns to the road as he starts the engine and she watches her house disappear behind them until he turns the corner and she turns to watch the road ahead. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So, that was chapter one! Chapter two is already half finished and there will be five chapters, all roughly the same length. I would expect them once a week- my college workload is already crazy so it won't be any sooner than that! :(
> 
> Apologies for any mistakes- blame it on Grammarly. Also, any science mistakes made throughout this fic are 100% my own fault- I have an interest in science but I am foremost a fashion student so sorry for any inaccuracies!
> 
> If you enjoyed this chapter then please follow me on my blog- stargirlsushi.tumblr.com - it's fairly new so there's not as much content on there as my other but I'm hoping to fill it up soon! I follow back and if for some reason I don't, just message me! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! ♡


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